When discussing the pillars of the American Craft Beer movement, a handful of names will always come up. One of these is the Deschutes Brewery out of Bend, Oregon. Founded in 1988, they have been dominating the West Coast market with delicious brews like the Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter. It's the big brewery that still feels small and personal. To quote founder Gary Fish, "We want people to feel like this is, in a lot of ways, theirs." It's a sentiment that still holds true for countless beer fans across the country. We recently caught up with Deschutes Brewmaster Brian Faivre, who happily offered up some Brewer Bytes.

What inspired you to get into brewing?

Mendocino Brewing's Heron Pale Ale and my first homebrew kit purchased at The Beverage People in Santa Rosa in the 90's.

What is the most challenging beer for you to brew?

Hop in the Dark -- our CDA that we start with a cold mash and lauter of dark grains to extract the color but leave that astringency behind. Very, very challenging from a brewing prospective and our system prospective.

What was your best or most rewarding brewing experience?

I am so grateful for the opportunities, experiences and people I have met in the past 13 years. I feel that I have a lifetime of learning to go -- which I am thrilled about!

There rarely is a "perfect" day at the brewery. Brewing/fermentation is a very dynamic complex process. But that's the challenge -- strive for those perfect days in your home brewery. Learn from your mistakes and remember at the end of the day you can make great beer at home -- even if things don't go as planned.